The Bastard God
by Jangling Bacon
Summary: He was o theós kátharma—the bastard god. They all thought he was named so because of his mysterious parentage. They were all wrong. T for minimal language.


Disclaimer: "Liking is probably the best form of ownership, and ownership the worst form of liking."

― José Saramago

Summary: He was _o theós kátharma—_the bastard god. They all thought it was because of his mysterious parentage. They were all wrong.

Takes place when the between _The Last Olympian_ and _The Lost Hero_.

* * *

The Bastard God

* * *

Thalia notched an arrow silently as she neared the figure standing outside the Hunters' camp. Monsters had abounded ever since Percy's disappearance and she wouldn't risk any of her Hunters because of carelessness. Soon, she would be close enough to get a better look. There. He was—

"Hello, Thalia Grace." She faltered as he spoke her name.

"Who are you?" she asked him, not taking her hands off of her bow. "What are you doing here?"

"Can a person not look at the moon?"

"Not at the camp of those who serve it."

"Have you been taught no respect for the gods?"

"Forgive me, my lord," she said in shock. "I did not—"

"It is forgiven," he replied, waving it away. They stood in silence for a moment. Thalia was about to say something to break the silence, when he spoke again.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured as he stared at the moon.

"Yes, it is. Very much, my lord."

"Oh, you don't need to call me that," he said. "Call me Skia."

"You mean, as in—"

"The bastard god?"

"I wouldn't have put it that way," she blushed. "You're the god of shadows, are you?"

"Yes," he said. "That I am."

"Then why do you speak of yourself so?" she asked.

"Do you know why I am called the bastard god?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Well, yes," she fumbled to remember. Annabeth had probably told her. "No one knows who your parents are. That's why."

"I wish," he said gravely. "The truth is, in fact, different."

"How so?"

* * *

"Long ago, when she was just a child, your lady, Artemis, swore an oath to remain a maiden forever. The punishment of breaking such an oath was harsh—mortality forever. Her brother, Apollo, did all he could to ensure she stayed true, even going so far as to having her kill the man she loved."

"Orion," Thalia remembered.

"Yes," Skia said irritably. "Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Sorry."

"Anyway, Apollo ensured that she could never break her oath. But there was one time that he could not. Apollo had been banished to earth as a human for killing the Cyclopes. And in that one year…his sister broke her oath.

"The Olympians were thrown into chaos. The virgin goddess had broken her oath! The punishment was clear, but how could they lose Artemis? So, they had to make a terrible choice.

"As soon as the baby was old enough, he was taken from his mother. He was made the god of shadows—because shadows are everywhere that the sun and moon are not. All the Olympians swore an oath of secrecy on the River Styx. They were to never, _ever_ speak of the child's true parentage. They called him the bastard god and made a story to explain it. Then, they set a spell upon the child. He could never come into the presence of his mother. He could never speak to, contact or look upon her face. He was given to Hermes to raise and when he was older, Hades taught him how to harness the shadow and make it his own."

"But…Lady Artemis would never break her oath," Thalia protested. Skia simply cocked an eyebrow.

"Never?"

"Rarely," Thalia admitted.

"Once is all it takes," he told her.

"So…that's why in all those pictures, they have you looking at the moon?"

"Exactly," Skia replied. "They just didn't know why."

"But why make you god of shadows? They didn't keep you from seeing Apollo, did they?"

"Lord Apollo was…less than charitable to my existence," he replied. "He saw me simply as a threat to his sister's life."

"That doesn't make sense; why are you telling me?" Thalia asked.

"All of Artemis' lieutenants know of this. I always tell them."

"Why?"

"I don't know. You are important to my mother. I suppose to tell them the consequences of breaking your oath."

"Not a very orthodox way of warning us."

"Very well: Thalia Grace, I warn you now, breaking your oath will result in eternal damnation for not only you, but any child you bear. Run along now."

As she turned to go, Thalia paused. "Wait…aren't the gods supposed to be silent?"

He simply smiled and disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

That whole thing came to me in a dream. His story, not this one. I just wanted a way to tell it. Please review, I'm not going to beg. If you liked it, tell me. If not…shut your mouth.

-Janglin' Bacon


End file.
